Learning And Development Specialist II

About Us

HOPE is recognized as one of the most successful Black and Women owned credit unions in the nation, HOPE continues to deepen its impact by expanding access to financial services and engaging in advocacy to mitigate the extent to which factors such as race, gender, birthplace and wealth limit one's ability to prosper. Since 1994, HOPE has generated more than $3.7 billion in community development financing that has benefitted more than 2 million people in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and nationwide. This work has supported small business owners struggling to gain access to capital, families seeking to own homes and individuals looking for a better way to manage their hard-earned money with a financial institution they can trust. This work has not gone unrecognized. Fast Company, Wall Street Journal and numerous other organizations have honored HOPE and its people for its innovative work on the most pressing issues of the day including COVID-19 response, the climate crisis, and economic inequality.

Job Summary

The Learning and Development Specialist will primarily be responsible for designing, developing, and delivering mortgage training programs to enhance the skills and knowledge of our mortgage employees. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Learning and Development Manager, this role will collaborate closely with various other departments to identify training needs and create customized programs that align with our company's objectives.

Primary and Essential Functions

Organizational Culture

• Supports Strengthening HOPE Initiative that values an organizational culture for open communication, innovation, associate engagement, and other traits that contribute to collaboration and high performance.

Training Program Design and Development

• Collaborate with subject matter experts to assess technical training needs.

• Design and develop engaging, interactive, and results-oriented technical training materials, including presentations, e-learning modules, manuals, and assessments.

• Determine instructional methods and modalities, such as individual training, group instruction, lectures, demonstrations, conferences, meetings, workshops and virtual trainings.

Training Delivery

• Conduct training sessions for employees, ensuring a clear and engaging learning experience.

• Deliver and/or assist with New Hire Orientation and Compliance Training

• Coordinate training schedule with the hiring and training needs of the company. Develop training calendar.

• Assist employees with problems concerning "how to" perform specific tasks related to their positions. This can be done by creating relevant job aids, one on one or coaching.

Content Maintenance and Updates

• Create instructional material. Course development includes: training objectives, course outlines, instructor and participant guides, relevant handouts, tests/quizzes, relevant hands-on training exercises, and computer-based training, etc.

• Continuously update and improve training materials to reflect industry best practices and technological advancements.

• Ensure that training content remains current and relevant.

Evaluation and Assessment:

• Implement evaluation tools and assessments to measure the effectiveness of training programs.

• Gather feedback from participants and adjust training content as needed to meet objectives.

• Develop systems to monitor and ensure employees are performing their responsibilities according to the training.

Technical Expertise:

• Stay current with industry trends, technologies, and best practices to provide the most up-to-date training.

• Possess the ability to take the initiative and the self-discipline to work without direct supervision.

Collaboration:

• Lead train-the-trainer sessions to equip others with skills to deliver and evaluate training effectively.

• Consult closely with the Assistant Vice President, Learning and Development Manager.

• Confer with management, supervisors, and employees to gain knowledge of work situations requiring training and to better understand changes in policies, procedures, regulations, business initiatives and technologies.

• Network with staff across departments to ensure that Learning and Development Department maintains a positive and beneficial relationship with staff.

• Assist in the development and execution of the annual training plan and training budget.

Documentation:

• Maintain accurate records of training sessions, attendance, and evaluation results.

• Generate reports on training effectiveness for management review.

• Report on progress of employees under guidance during training periods.

Secondary Functions

• Keep abreast of new technologies, training trends, and products and services of the mortgage department and company.

• Maintain knowledge of instructional technologies.

• Perform general administrative duties such as attending meetings, report production, etc.

Regulatory Compliance Requirements

• Must comply with provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)

• Must comply with all provisions of the Privacy of Consumer Financial Information regulations.

• Must comply with all provisions of the Right to Financial Privacy Act

• Comply with the provisions of the following laws/programs:

• American Disabilities Act

• Age Discrimination in Employment Act

• Affirmative Action Program

• Civil Rights Act/Title VII

• Executive Order 11246

• Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act

Accountability for Business Results

• Expense control within budget constraints

• Quality employee job knowledge

• Timely delivery of knowledge

Specified Authority Level

• Expenditures within training budget

Competencies/Skills

• Accountability

• Accepting responsibility that results in anticipation/prevention of problem areas from actions, and problem solving inside and outside the department/organization.

• Continuous Learning

• Actively and continuously gaining insight of strengths and weaknesses in order to identify the relevant areas that need further development (with regard to skills and knowledge) and acting up on it.

• Organizational Awareness

• Having and using knowledge of systems, situations, procedures, and culture inside the organization to identify potential problems and opportunities; perceiving the impact and the implications of decisions on other components of the organization.

• Functional Expertise and Usage

• Acquiring and applying functional knowledge in an area of specialty that is not technical (for example, Sales, Finance, and Human Resources Management)

• Results Orientation

• Being persistent and showing perseverance on achieving concrete and tangible results out of personal responsibility; getting optimum results from situations and being ready to take action and show tenacity in case of obstacles or resistance.

• Problem Solving

• Having the ability to identify problems and issues of varying complexities and to find effective solutions with few guidelines.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related field

• 2-3 years' experience training in a financial environment.

• 2-3 years' experience working in or with a mortgage department.

• Minimum 1 year of project management experience.

• Knowledge of basic financial job skills, products, and services.

• Proven presentation and facilitation skills.

• Ability to travel within company's footprint up to 50%.

• Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel, Articulate360 and Canva.

Physical Demands

• Employee is regularly required to sit, stand and walk

• Employee will use hands to finger, handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear

• Employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds

• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Employee will be required to travel with the company's footprint.

Work Environment

• Employee spends the majority of time in office environment, generally accessible to the public, customers, and potential customers

• Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate

• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.